HP NonStop (HPE) fault tolerant servers originally developed by Tandem Computers – Summary

My IT career between the years 1990 and 2014, involved significant programming and large projects for Tandem HP NonStop servers.

HP NonStop Tandem Computers

HP NonStop refers to the line of fault-tolerant servers and software originally developed by Tandem Computers and now owned by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). These systems are designed for continuous operation and uninterrupted transaction processing by using redundant hardware components and independent processors to automatically failover in the event of a failure, ensuring high availability for critical applications in banking, telecommunications, and healthcare. 

Origins and Evolution

  • Tandem Computers: Founded in 1974, Tandem introduced the NonStop system, a pioneering fault-tolerant computer with no single point of failure, revolutionizing continuous availability for online transaction processing. 
  • Acquisitions: Tandem Computers was acquired by Compaq in 1997, and Compaq was later acquired by Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2001. 
  • Current Ownership: After the split of HP into Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and HP Inc. in 2015, the NonStop product line became part of HPE. 

Key Features and Uses

  • Fault Tolerance: The systems are built with redundant components, including identical processors and storage devices, allowing them to automatically detect and recover from hardware or software failures without interruption. 
  • High Availability: This fault-tolerant architecture is ideal for mission-critical applications that require constant uptime, such as financial transactions, emergency services, and large-scale banking systems. 
  • Scalability: NonStop systems are designed for scalability, able to handle large commercial workloads by adding independent processors. 
  • Dedicated Operating System: Historically, NonStop systems ran on proprietary software like the Guardian operating system and used the TAL programming language. 
  • Specialized Database: The line includes NonStop SQL (currently SQL/MX), a relational database designed for the high availability and scalability needs of these systems. 
Unknown's avatar

Author: Mark Whitfield

Welcome to my site! After graduating in Computing in 1990, I accepted a position as a programmer at a Runcorn based software house specialising in electronic banking software, namely sp/ARCHITECT-BANK on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop). This was before the internet became more prevalent and so the notion of enabling desktop access to company accounts for inter-account transfers and book keeping was still quite a cutting edge idea (and smartphones only ever hinted at in Space 1999). The company was called The Software Partnership (which was taken over by Deluxe Data in 1994). I spent 5 years in Runcorn developing code for SP/ARCHITECT for various banks like TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank and Girofon (Denmark) to name but a few. I then moved onto a software house in Salford Quays for further bank facing projects. After a further 23 years in the IT industry and now a Senior IT Project Manager (both Agile and Waterfall delivery), I thought I would echo out my Career Profile in this corner of the internet for quick and easy access.

Leave a comment